Tube-cleaner connection for boilers.



H. GASSIDY.

TUBE CLEANER CONNECTION FOR BOILERS.

APPLICATION IILE D DEC 12, 1911.

Patented Mar. 19, 1912.

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HUGH CASSIDY, OF BROOKLYNQNEW YORK.

TUBE-CLEANER CONNECTION IOR BOILERS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Mar. 19, 1912.

Application filed December 12, 1911. Serial No. 665,232.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, HUGH CAssmY, a citizen of the United States, and resident of Brooklyn, in the county of Kings and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Tube-Cleaner Connections for Boilers, of which the following is a specification.

In attending to the boilers of power plants it is necessary at frequent intervals to blow out the soot and deposits which accumulate from the gases of combustion as they pass through the tubes.

It is the usual practice to accomplish this by means of a flexible hose provided with a nozzle which is applied to the ends of the tubes. The pressure of the steam used for this purpose is sometimes as high as ninety pounds per square inch. The high pressure and temperature of the steam often ruptures the hoze and causes injury to the workman manipulating the nozzle. I am aware rigid tubes with flexible joint connections for conducting steam have been suggested to overcome this difficulty.

The object of the present invention is to provide an extensible tubular connection of improved form. which will enable it to be normally folded out of the way and which will enable it to be readily extended to reach the tubes of a battery of boilers.

A further object is to provide an improved connection for supporting'the end of the extension tube at the steam supply pipe, and to provide an improved connection between the nozzle and the extension tube which will cooperate with the extension tube and its supply connection to facilitate the manipulation of the nozzle in applying it to the boiler tubes.

The invention consists in the construction and combination of parts to be more fully described hereinafter and particularly set forth in the claims.

In the drawing which fully illustrates my invention Figure 1 is a. front elevation showing my device in full lines in its normal folded position and illustrating the same in dotted outline as it is actually applied to the boiler tubes in use. Fig. 2 is a longitudinal section through a flexible coupling which connects the members of the extensible pipe, and which connects the nozzle, so as to permit swivel movement of the parts connected together thereby. This view shows contiguous parts of the pipe.

Fig. 3 is a partial section and elevation showing the nozzle which is connected with the flexible pipe connection.

Referring more particularly to the parts 1 and 2, represent two boilers mounted in a suitable boiler setting or housing 3, and having horizontal fire-tubes 4 and 5 respectively, which lead the gases of combustion from the combustion chamber to the up-take and passing through the water spaces of. the boilers in the usual manner. The boiler setting or housing 3 is provided at the front with main doors 6 which may be thrown open as indicated at the boiler 2 so as to give access to the forward head 7 of the boiler 2 as shown at the right of Fig. 1. The boilers are further provided with firedoors 8 and ash-doors 9 in the usual manner.

In applying my invention I provide a steam pipe 10 which is preferably disposed in a vertical position at the front of the boilers and between the same. This pipe is supplied with steam by the main pipe (not illustrated) from either or both boilers. Near its lower end it is provided with a valve 11 and below the valve a swivel or flexible coupling 12 connects with an elbow 13. To the elbow 13 I attach my extensible pipe-frame or flexible connection 1 1. This extension tube or pipe when in its folded condition comprises a plurality of radius pipes or tubes 15 which are substantially parallel with each other, and these longitudinal pipes are connected by crosspipes 16 in succession as shown; a crosspipe or arm 17 connects the extension-tube 14 with the elbow 13. Elbows 18 connect the crosspipes with the longitudinal pipes 15. The pipes 15 are progressively shorter, as they are more distant from the coupling 12, so that the device may be folded up and the parts nested together, as indicated. The innermost leg 19 of the tubular extensionframe forms a tubular stem for a nozzle 20, which is connected with the tubular stem 19 by means of a union 2]., and the lower end of the tubular stem 19 is provided with a swivel coupling 22 which permits a perfect freedom of movement of the nozzle on the axis of its stem 19.

The construction of the nozzle is fully shown in Fig. 3. It comprises a T connection 23 provided with a nipple 24 to which the union 21 is attached. At one side of the T connection 23 a handle 25 is screwed into .tubefi to which the nozzle is applied, and l as the steam passesthrought he conicaltip';

having. anni'pfp lefiii to which the pipe 16 is; 1 connected.- the other. end of the 'nut .31: anipple' 36 is provided which extends *placeysaid handle havingafgrip 26 of w od,

or similar material" for manipulating the nozzle at the other sideo'f the T 23 atubularshank- 26 connects, to the end of whichis attached a conical-tip or nose'27; ',The

steam comes up through the nipple 24 and I passes through the tubular shank 26 intothe 27 eiri's entrainedqfrom the atmosphere through the'o'penings'28 whichere formed in the/tube, and which converge towardthe] small endthereof. It will bese'en from in? spection of the folded" extensiomtube that "collar 37 -and,the'inner;end' of vthegland .33 la su'itahle'packing 38 is provided which may the-crosspipesi 16- also are progressively shorter from theo-utside of the folded frame in-'an, inwarcl direction, tofacilitate the -nest1ng-of-the sections or legs of the 'de% vice.

I In'applyihg the det ice;to"t-he hoiler tubes;

in practice asfcatlold or platform 29 is-erected on the horses 30 and a workmanstands upon the platform and'applies the nozzle" successivelyto the tubesJ-In order to do this .the folded extension tube 14- is swung dentl'y beflapplied to thet-u'bes4 of the boiler outwardly onthe swivel-coupling 12 an axis and is then extended as indicatedbyl 1. Thetswivel'con the dottedlines in Fig. nection 22 permits thenozzle 20 toloe passed if desired betweeniadjacentparallelt-ubesltg and on account otthe progressive shortena mgofthe sections-of the extensible tube the different members or sections thereof can he Iswung out or extended in either directlon:

in practice the plattorm 29. 13 at or near the level of the elbow 13 so that the longest'pipe section-or: leg 15*" lies-upon .and is supported bythe platform; The le'g15f". which is slightly shorter than the leg 15 connects with the'l'egl5 so astope'rmit a free vertical or .llOIYlZOIlilalglIlOVEilZlGIll? of;

the nozzle 20. The swivel connection 22' connected with the tuhular st einfllg facilitates the withdrawal of the nozzle and the- ;.insertion of the same in the'tuhes 5 successively; the entireextensiontube may be swungtowzird or away from the head Thy a rotation at the swia el coupling 12. The nec esseryrotation atthis point however 1s'produced simply by the manipulation of the nozzle in applying it to the tubes.

Special attention is -called .to'. the fixed swivel eouphng 12 which permits the en tire extension frame to he swung away from or toward the boiler-head, and attention is also called particularly to'the swivel connectien 22 which permits a rotation the nozzle in a plane substantially atrlghtengles to the boilerhead. In this way I give the nozzle perfectfreedom of movement without necessitating the employment of-a hose which is liable to rupture bv thepressure of-It "ce .iicli operates eli'ectively for thepur without danger to the workman:

he steam within it; and I produce a de-- coupling 12 are provided in the crosspipes I Y to permit vthe extending of the device as illustrated. .in the dotted lines; All -these couplings may 'be of any suitable-h munction; such as-' illustrated in' ig." Eaellcoupling vcomprises; a cap or nut 32 which-is 1; threaded internally, "to recleite a threaded] gland-33, formed .on'E-a collar 34:; said collar into the gland and-has "a collar 37 seating egainst the innerend'thereof; Betweenthe hutare held in any adjustedpositionby a tOngueBQih-the'form of a" leaf springwhich is secured to the side of the col-la ge- 'screw.-l0, 'an-d which is receivecl in" any-one of plurality of longitudinal grooves-l formed in the-souter face of the nut asindi-fwith the" same facility that itQmay be applied to the tubes 5"; furthermore, although battery of two boilers oulyfitrnay be used with greater" number of" boilers it desired. IWhat claim 'zind desire to secure b'y-Let-' t'ers' Patent" i a w 1. A pair'of boilers,l'lavingtuhesincom -'bination with a" fixed pipe, an extension;

pipe, a ,swivel 7 coupling connecting said eX- tension-pipe with said fixed pipe, sa1 d.tubu-' 131' extension pipe having"- swivel couplings:

adapted to permit extending the members thereof and. auoZ-zle ca'rried'by silid 'e'xten .sion.-p1 pe and adapted to he appl ed t'o't'he said. boiler tuhes.

2. A'pair offboilers-haizingtubes, in com hinationl with a fixed st'ea'n pipe disposed between said boilers enextenslon-pipe li av-,

.ing swivel connections and ;;fiexib1y con- 'nected' with sa d fixed steam pipe, and a nozzle-carried lay said extensionrpipe and edapted tobe applied tosaid boiler-tubes.

3; Axlooiler having tubes in combina'tio n'v with enextensihle. pipe frznne consisting of a plurality ofredius tuhes, aplurality of movable cross pipes conx'iecting the ends vof said radius t'ubes,.said. crossxpipeslhaving' sw vel-connections therein, a sw1vel 'connec tion forsupporting saidyextensible pipe frame at one Cild a nozzle and a swivel connection connecting; said nozzle with saidfrume at the other end, adaptedjtoibe ap- Dlied to the boiler tubes; I

4t. .A'hoiler hating tubes, in coml'unation with an entensible pipe ft'rame having swivel joints therein; 'a swivel connection.

for support ng oueend ofysaid pipe-frame and for supplying' steam thereto, said .frame .I have illustrated the device as zippliedtoa being formed. of members normally lying in substantially parallel planes, said mem ers being progressively shorter than each other, and a nozzle having a swivel connection with one end of said pipe-frame and adapted to be applied to said tubes.

' 5. A boiler having a plurality of horizontal tubes, a fixed steam supply pipe adjacent said boiler, an elbow having a swivel connection on the axis of said pipe and having an arm adapted to swing in a plane substantially at right angles to the plane of the ends of stud radius tubes, a plurality of tubes jointed together forming an extensible tubular frame and including cross pipes constantly parallel with said arm, a swivel connection connecti the same with said arm, and a nozzle jointed to the outer. end of said tubular frame and adapted to be applied to the boiler tubes.

6. An extension ipe fpr connecting a steam supply with oller tubes, consistlng of a plura ity of parallel pi e-sections having swivel joints t erein, an pipes connect-, ing said parallel pipe sections in series.

7. A fixed steam; supply pipe, a tubular arm having a swivel connection therewith, a plurality of movable parallel cross pi es, parallel with said tubular arm, a plura ity of radius pipes connecting said parallel cross pipes in series, said tubular arm and said parallel cross pipes having swivel joints therein.

Signed at New York city in the county of New York and State of New York this 9th day of December A. D. 1911.

- HUGH OASSIDY.

Witnesses on. H. Torrme, F. D. Amman.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the "commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. 0. 

